Kenya crushed by Black Caps

Kenya slump to lowest international Twenty20 total.

Last Updated: 12/09/07 1:17pm

Bond: Two wickets

New Zealand started their ICC World Twenty20 campaign in great style with a nine-wicket destruction of Kenya in Durban.

The Kenyans were put into bat on a bowler-friendly wicket in Durban, and they could not cope with New Zealand's bowling attack as they crumbled to a record low score for international Tweny20 matches of just 73.

The Black Caps had no problems knocking off the runs needed for victory and they lost just the one wicket as they reached 74-1 in 7.4 overs.

Kenya endured the most horrendous of starts as new ball pair Mark Gillespie and Shane Bond came steaming in and quickly had the Africans reduced to 1-4 off the opening 11 balls.

Collins Obuya and Thomas Odoyo both made 18 and they put on 36 for the fifth wicket but after they went, only two more Kenyans could reach double figures.

Gillespie returned to take the final two wickets to end the Kenyan innings after they managed to survive 16.5 of their allotted 20 overs.

In the wickets

Gillespie finished with impressive figures of 4-7 from 2.5 overs, while Bond, skipper Daniel Vettori and Chris Martin all took two wickets each.

Despite the lowly total, New Zealand still attacked their victory target and rattled along towards the 74 they needed.

Opener Lou Vincent was the only wicket to fall as he was caught by Obuya off the bowling of Odoyo for 26.

Brendon McCullum (16) and Peter Fulton (21) finished the match off with New Zealand reaching their target with all of 12 overs and two balls left to spare.

Such an emphatic win gets New Zealand's campaign off to a great start in Group C, where they will face Sri Lanka in their final match.